Saintless

Eh, it’s my blog. I can use it to find a house to rent, right? :)

Anyone with a house for rent in a decent Salt Lake City or East-Side neighborhood (especially Downtown, Sugar House, or in the Murray school district), with somewhere between 2 and 4 bedrooms? If so, give me a call (755.3974 - leave a message). We’re hoping to move somewhere between October 15th and November 1. Picky details like a dishwasher, garage, decent lawn, etc can be negotiated with the rental price.

Today feels like a day where I need reminding of these words.

Do you derive joy when someone else succeeds?
Do you not play dirty when engaged in competition?
Do you have a big intellectual capacity but know
That it alone does not equate wisdom?
Do you see everything as an illusion?
But enjoy it even though you are not of it?
Are you both masculine and feminine? politically aware?
And don’t believe in capital punishment?

These are 21 things that I want in a lover
Not necessarily needs but qualities that I prefer

Do you derive joy from diving in and seeing that
Loving someone can actually feel like freedom? are you funny?
la self-deprecating? like adventure? and have many formed opinions?

These are 21 things that I want in a lover
Not necessarily needs but qualities that I prefer
I figure I can describe it since I have a choice in the matter
These are 21 things I choose to choose in a lover

I’m in no hurry I could wait forever
I’m in no rush cuz I like being solo
There are no worries and certainly no pressure in the meantime
I’ll live like there’s no tomorrow

Are you uninhibited in bed? more than three times a week?
Up for being experimental? are you athletic?
Are you thriving in a job that helps your brother? are you not addicted?
…curious and communicative…

Houston is my hometown. I haven’t been back in quite a while, since Daddy’s not around anymore. But, it will always be home, and seeing Hurricane Ike ravaging Galvaston, right next door, is tearing my heart out. Katrina’s doesn’t seem all that long ago, and the devastation in New Orleans is something I’d hoped never to see again. As I drove back to work from lunch, I listened to an interview with some official in Galvaston, who said that the madatory evacuation they’ve issued says that if you don’t leave, you will die. Apparently, the last time that particular warning was sent out was with Katrina. The guy being interviewed said he was still seeing people on the streets, and that many hadn’t evacuated.

I was just watching the CNN Live Cam (IE only - and click the link on the right side if it’s showing you the map), and watched some guy in a truck pull away from the water line being shown. I sure hope he was getting the hell out, though I’m not sure that’s still possible. I haven’t heard or read anything other than what I just mentioned, and I’m not sure if I want to.

Not supposed to be crying at work. I think I might be done here for the day….

I find myself about to hit the “Accept and Install” button for Google’s new browser, Chrome. Firefox has been my browser of choice for years, now. I have a deep, heartfelt relationship with Firefox and it’s many plug-ins that allow me to live a life of ease, always knowing it’s MY browser, set up exactly how I like. And now, just because Google put it out, I have to have Chrome.

Google has literally taken over my life. My entire social history exists somewhere within, from Gmails to my family, friends and lovers, to photos on Picasa, where I’ve purchased extra storage. My schedule is on the Calendar application. My documents exist on the Documents application or on Google Groups. My search history is on Google Desktop. Google knows me well enough that my searches are custom-tailored to me. Not even my phone escapes, with at least two Google applications installed.

My dream job exists somewhere within the Google world. Someday, I dream, Google will realize that they just can’t go on without hiring me. Sadly, this has not happened yet.

So, when I got to the download page, and saw this EULA:

I couldn’t help but notice that Google has finally realized that we have a relationship. Perhaps this is the mild flirtation that relationships start out as, and in the very near future, my dreams of working for Google will come true. They will realize that just because I’m a Microsoft sellout, that doesn’t mean I can’t come to the light, and work with whatever technology they wish me to. Ah, Google. The company of my dreams.

I hope I like your new browser as much as I think I’m going to.

I had just dropped my oldest son off at his day care, and was taking my younger son over to his, when I was stopped at a traffic light. I watched in horror as a small sedan made a left turn at the light and ran over a bicyclist. The bike was in pieces, and the cyclist was laying in a very unnatural position. I can’t remember feeling such horror in my life as I did right then.

I see people all the time doing careless and dangerous things when behind the wheel. Someone in a hurry speeds up to make their turn in front of oncoming traffic, doesn’t stop for the pedestrian who was already crossing the road, sends text messages while driving, the list goes on.

And those are the kind of drivers that hit bikes and pedestrians. I have no idea what the story was with the driver of the car that hit the bike this morning, s/he may have been a very cautious driver, who wasn’t doing anything stupid. But what I saw shouldn’t have happened. And as I drove up to Layton for work, I kept thinking about how, when you get behind the wheel, you have a huge responsibility to everyone around you, and accidents like this morning don’t have to happen.

I hear people bitching about cyclists, grumpy that they have to share the road with them, especially with all the new bike lanes in Salt Lake. It really makes me mad when I hear this, because those people on bikes have every right to be there.

It also makes me mad when I see cyclists doing stupid things, and give other people any reason to bitch about sharing the road. When a cyclist doesn’t wait for a light, runs a stop sign, uses a pedestrian walkway to avoid obeying the rules of the road, or anything else like that, they make me mad, too. The rules are there for safety, and a cyclist has to obey them, too. (The cyclist this morning was obeying those rules, btw).

I’m sick to my stomach still, though I’ve finally stopped shaking. My mind keeps replaying the sedan literally running over the bike, several feet in the air, and the bike pieces flying, and the cyclist laying in the road twisted. It didn’t have to happen, it shouldn’t happen again. I’m going to be buying a new bike soon, but this has me second guessing that decision.

And since I’m on a rant, the same goes for motorcyclists. There’s blame on both sides, but my most recent experience was on the freeway, in the fast lane. I was passing a semi, and a guy on a bullet bike was behind me. He was up close, and I figured he wanted to pass, and though I was a bit irritated, I decided to get out of his way after I’d passed the semi. So, right after I passed, I turned on my blinker to get over, and waited maybe 3 seconds as I moved far enough ahead to be safe. I checked, and the bike was still behind me, checked my side mirror to make sure the semi was where I thought it was, and began to get over. As I did, I also turned my head to verify that I was clear. Well, apparently, I wasn’t getting out of the way fast enough for the bullet bike, and he had squeezed in between the semi and me. There was absolutely no safe way for the bike to squeeze through, and it really pissed me off that his stupidity almost lead to me killing him.

So, be safe, remember that your hurry isn’t everyone else’s problem and be more aware of the world around you, ok? Oh, and think about what a favor the cyclists are doing you by saving the environment, and not increasing the demand for gasoline, and give them a break.

P.S. I’ll be back to blogging eventually. Family issues are taking all of my attention right now, and I barely have time to think.

Update: While looking for new of the accident I saw this morning, I came across two local news items that really add to my point that people need to pay more attention. First, from KSL:

A man has been seriously injured in a car crash that was caused by a distracted driver. Police say the driver was texting when the wreck happened.

And from KUTV 2:

A woman was struck by a vehicle and killed in Weber County late Tuesday night while walking to the grocery store, authorities said.

Investigators said it appears that Mary Deats was trying to cross Harrison and 15th Street in Ogden at approximately 10:00 p.m.  A driver traveling north on Harrison didn’t see the elderly woman until it was too late.

It’s no wonder we parents are so protective of our children that the childhood experience today is so much different than when we grew up. I sometimes wonder how it is that I don’t let my 10 year old son walk 3 blocks to the 7-11 for a Slurpee by himself, and then stuff like this happens, and I realize that he’s going to be 30 before that happens….

If anyone does have news on the cyclist accident from this morning, please share. I’d really like to know if the rider was ok.

Tags: bicycles

I love buying from local businesses, for a variety of reasons. Partly, I believe this is the answer to Wal-Mart. Buying locally made products or from local businesses helps Utah’s economy, and stimulates small businesses. One of my favorite reasons was reaffirmed for me last night, though.

I crochet a lot, and the yarn store around the corner from me recently moved, so I was buying my yarn from chain stores. But, they have such a limited selection. It’s 90% acrylic, with maybe 3 colors of cotton and some mohair thrown in. My recent projects have been cotton, and I’ve realized how much I despise the feel of acrylic.

Last night, I had about 2 hours before the Salt Lake Democratic Central Committee meeting, so one of the things I decided to do was find a new (local) yarn store.

The first place I stopped had mostly sewing items, and the lady talked to me about how when she first opened 20 years ago, she had lots of “yarn craft” items, but that the big stores were selling yarn for the same price she was able to buy it for, so she had stopped. She was able to tell me where the store around the corner from me had moved, but pointed out that Wool Cabin was just across the street.

Mind you, “just across the street” isn’t as easy as it sounds. 3300 South near 2000 East is a mess, due to a pipe that’s being laid in the middle of the road. So, I had to get back on 3300 South, turn right on 2000 East, pull into H&R Block’s parking lot, get back on 2000 South and then go through the light. Anyhow, I finally made it there, and what a treat!

There were 3 big rooms, just full of a variety of yarns, in a rainbow of colors. When I went in, the lady greeted me with a smile, but didn’t hover. When I asked her a question though, I found a wealth of information just waiting for me. Although she was a self-described “wool snob”, she showed me that not all acrylics are the rough “fiberglass” texture that I don’t like. She also showed me some great cottons, linens and wool yarns, along with blends. She was a knitter, not a crocheter, but she was very helpful when I was trying to determine what yarns I would need for the two patterns I had selected. They have tons of patterns in binders for very low cost (about $3) as well as some great books.

And that brings me back to my favorite “buy local” reason. The service! It was so nice to find the staff so pleasant, along with how knowledgeable she was.

I can’t wait to finish the projects I’m working on, so I can go back and find something to make out of the linen yarn!

There’s a rumor going around that I might be getting engaged soon. Since I’m hoping the rumor is true, I was happily surprised to run across this blog titled “Eco Bridal: DIY, Upcycle or Handcraft Your Wedding Dress”.

Not only does Leslie Richard list 9 different custom dress designers that are green, she also links to ecoparti, where you can get biodegradable ecofetti and other wedding/party favors.

I’ve told Dax that I want a white wedding, with all the trimmings. I guess now I need to re-evaluate, because a “green wedding” seems more my style. I still want the white dress, though.

Yeah, I’m a few days late. But, I wanted to write about what a great Mother’s Day I had this year. Although I can’t complain about the wonderful Mother’s Day gifts I’ve always received from my boys, they’re not really old enough to plan the day out to try to make it special, beyond just being great kiddos. That’s the kind of thing that falls on adults. In the past, I’ve never had an adult (their father, or my ex-long-term boyfriend) really make the day special.

This year was different, though. The boys were with their father, since it was his weekend, but got dropped off early Sunday morning. They each brought me a plate of cookies, and each plate had some cookies they had decorated in with the other treats. Once I’d had a cup of coffee and managed to come out of the walking dead coma that affects me most mornings, we played outside with the dog, and I helped the boys with their bikes. We also played a few rounds of Mario Kart, which is totally addicting. (See attached news clipping)

Dax was really great, too. He suggested going to Whole Foods for their Mothers Day Brunch. The food, besides being organic, was really good - although I didn’t care for the chicken sausage. I also got a free massage while I was there. Dax supervised the boys while they decorated sugar cookies, so I could actually relax and enjoy the massage. The boys managed not to complain about the breakfast, and even really liked the French toast.

I really wanted to go for a walk in the mountains, so we packed up and went up Emmigration Canyon with Kaiser (the puppy), but hadn’t realized that we couldn’t take him up there, due to the watershed reclamation project. So, we had a nice drive through the mountains, and came back home.

Dax also gave me a Mother’s Day gift - “French for Dummies” CD and book. I have a fascination with all things French, and he had recently given me the new Alizée CD that I’d been trying (unsuccessfully) to find since December. I guess when I’m fixated on something, everyone around me knows it. When he gave me the CD, I made a big deal out of telling the boys, because that’s the kind of thing I hope they do for the girls in their life when they grow up (not that that’ll ever happen - they aren’t allowed to get older than 12!).

So, to tie this story together, the boys gave me their Mother’s Day cards that afternoon. Of course they were adorable, but Drake’s card amused me a lot. His teacher gave them a fill-in-the-blank paper about “Mom” to include with the rest, and for some unfathomable reason, one of the blanks read “She is ___ pounds”. He wrote in “heavy”. Sweet child, huh? Anyway, another blank asked about what he’d get me if he could give me anything in the world, and he put that he’d get me a French CD. So, that went nicely with the French for Dummies CD set that I got from Dax.

Sunday was definitely the best Mother’s Day I could have hoped for - except maybe that my kids are still beating me on Mario Kart. Ah, well, I’ll just have to practice more.

I just got off the elevator at work with a smile on my face. A girl from another floor in my building, whom I had never met before, noticed my “Ask Me About Barack” button on my shirt, and asked me if I was going to the State Democratic Convention this weekend, to which I replied “Yes”. Then she asked if I was a delegate, and I said “Yes, I’m a State Delegate. I’m running for National Delegate”.

She wished me good luck as she got off the floor before mine.

Tim and Jenica - congrats! You guys are a wonderful couple, and I’m thrilled that I got to watch the two of you get married today!

Alt: Oh, huh, so you didn’t know that story?

And hey - I’m next, right? ;)